Joe Burrowmade headlines this week for winning Louisiana State University’s first Heisman trophy since 1959 — but the moment sparked something even more incredible.
While accepting his award Saturday, the 23-year-old quarterback used his time on the stage to spotlight those in need, sharing with viewers that much of his community back home in Athens, Ohio, remains in poverty.
Joe Burrow.Adam Hunger/Getty Images
“Coming from southeast Ohio, it’s a very impoverished area and the poverty rate is almost two times the national average,” Burrow shared during his acceptance speech. “There’s so many people there that don’t have a lot. And I’m up here for all those kids in Athens and Athens county that go home to not a lot of food on the table, hungry after school. You guys can be up here, too.”
What Burrow didn’t know was that his inspiring words would encourage Athens resident Will Drabold to start a fundraiser for the community, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in just one day, according toCNN.
On Sunday, Drabold shared Burrow’s sentiments with the creation of aFacebook fundraiseraimed to benefit the Athens County Food Pantry.
To date, the fundraiser has brought in $344,535 and counting — far surpassing its original goal of just $50,000. With so many donations coming in, Drabold raised the goal to $400,000 only two days after publishing the page.
Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images
The food pantry, which served over 400 families last month, responded on social media to the generous flood of support, which Drabold reposted to the donation page.
The post continued, “On behalf of the board and our clients, merely saying thank you for this amazing show of support for our work cannot accurately reflect the depth of our appreciation! But those are the words we have so THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!”
Drabold also shared on the Facebook fundraiser page that his wife, who is a special education teacher at Burrow’s former elementary school, has already noticed the impact that the football player’s words have had on the students.
He added: “Joey inspired a generation of children in Appalachian Ohio. Some of these kids don’t get toys for Christmas. Some get their food from the food pantry. You cannot beat the power of role models and inspiration in their lives. None of these kids, who are in the same classrooms Joey was, will ever forget this.”
source: people.com
